aqualiv

We were originaly wanting to move to Perth but it is looking like melbourne is more likely due to husbands profession in I.T.
Doesn't Melbourne have a climate more like Britain? Also when I look it up there seems little mention of beaches and more about shopping
So what are the good points?

Olivia

Petals

There are so many good points

Lots of beaches, a round of the world surfing championships is held at Bells Beach each year.

Climate is not as cold as UK, http://www.melbourne.com.au/climate.htm gives you a range of the temperatures here.

People do find it cold in winter due to the fact that most houses do not have double glazing and a lot of the older ones are not insulated very well.

If you lived in a newer house on a slab its fine.

We have central heating and air conditioning in our house.

I personally would not live anywhere else in Aus and love Melbourne.

As the other post said third most livable city in the world used to be no 1 but our transport lets us down now, that is because so many people want to live here now Have a look on wiki

Geelong Gent

No Melbourne doesn't like to talk about our beaches

mohogony

I think the beaches actually inside Melbourne beaches range from dreadful to average but the state of Victoria which Melbourne is in probably has the best beaches and and most scenic coastline in OZ, such as the great ocean road and Wilsons prom and gippslands region. Therefore there is miles of fantastic beaches great for swimming surfing and sunbaking but you have to drive around 45 minutes-1 hour or more east or west just outside Melbourne to get there. Compared to most of the other cities the winters are colder in Melbounre, for example it snows in the mountains outside Melboune and the summers usally are'nt as hot but last summer there was a heatwave where it got to 46c degrees, so you ca'nt say the climate is the same as the UK. Atleast half the year it would be too cold to go swimming in the pool or at the beach, but Perth also gets cold in winter.

muckypup

is that the beaches in melbum! sweeeeeeeeeet! i selling up then !

mohogony

Looks like they were taken in summer, they would'nt look so good in winter now,

Zambia

Its still winter here and yesterday I sat on the porch drinking coffee in jeans and a T-shirt. There weather is nowhere near Britain.

The rent a new house advice is very true, we rented a weatherboard and it was freezing , it was warmer out-f**king-side the house than in.

Melbourne also has fantastic restaurants.

If you want to live near a beach in Melbourne you will pay though the nose to do so.

bigAPE

The weather is on average 10'C warmer here in melbourne than in the UK, but after a few years you aclimatise and it does feel like winter. However, after a couple fo 40'C summers you almost look forward to the Winter and a breather from the endless summer nights on the beach (yes, we have them. yes, they are just fine thanks)

Melbourne has the best of all of seasons.

Al

MartinLuther

Melbourne has a climate more like the south of France. However if you think that it's always hot and sunny all year around in the south of France then that comparison is not very helpful.

It has 4 seasons. The winter is short and not overly cold. You won't be scraping ice off the windows and it's extremely unlikely that you'll see frost. Spring and winter are usually changeable with rainy days interspersed with sunny blue sky days. Summer usually starts off cool (Christmas is often cool) but usually gets very hot during Jan/Feb. Most days in summer will be mid to high 20s but you do get 40+ days from time to time. The biggest surprise in summer is that the temps can change so dramatically. Often, on very hot days, a cool change can come through in the mid to late afternoon dropping temps by 20-25 degrees. (This is actually a welcome relief.) Autumn is the best season and resembles a good British summer. All year around the nights are generally cool. There won't be many nights when you don't need a duvet (see note on cool change above).

Melbourne is on a large bay, so the beaches nearest the city are bay beaches (almost no tide, small waves unless stormy and slow fall off) which are great for kids but not much good if you want waves. The more adventurous ocean beaches are more than 1.5 hours from the CBD. There is a cold current around the Victorian coast so swimming without a wet suit is advised for most people during the summer and early autumn.

Shopping is (apparently - not a big shopper myself) one of Melly's good points which is why you're seeing that. Cafes are another plus point. I like the trams but they can be a pain for some when driving. It has a great cycle network on and off road. It has a lot of cultural stuff (theaters, art galleries, libraries, museums, etc...) that is very good. It doesn't really have any world iconic structures like the Sydney Opera House or the Harbour Bridge but it does have lots of great and diverse architecture.

Victoria's plus points include changeable landscapes and interesting coastlines. Wine regions, snowy mountains (in winter), gourmet food, and a wide range of boutique breweries. It also has lots of small to medium towns within easy reach of the capital. It even has a desert out to the west but I've not been there yet.

MartinLuther

They probably looked like that yesterday. Very blue skies and warm (for winter). Today it would look very damp and cold

bigAPE

I'd second that.

OP - What you have to remember is that people up North (Sydney, Birsbane) will always tell you that their climate is better, their beaches are better, etc. Which is all true, but what use is that when there is nothing else to do? Melbourne is the Sporting capital of the southern hemisphere (possibly the world), simply everything is done here. Pretty much every major sport can be watched easily, cheaply and with the whole family in a safe fun environment. The entire bay is pretty much beaches all the way around, with serious coatsal surf (if that is what youre after) about an hour away. There are countless bars, cafes, restaurants and theatres. Concerts, art exhibits, ballet, you name it. Skiing is just 3 hrs away (we went to Buller for a long weekend the other week and had a great time) in the Winter.

Melbourne has a lot to offer and there is more to life in Australia than sun and warm beaches. Don't get caught up with the product brochures, think about what makes you happy when you're not at the beach and come to a decision.

Al

Geelong Gent

Actually some of them were taken July (middle of winter) hence no people on the beach. This is one of the surprises we found is the winters were still bright versus grey.

Yes it does get cold but in comparison to UK? Have yet to get ice on my car when parked on the drive. You need some cold to get the snow

Those pictures are 36km from CBD, most people will end up living 20km to 50km away from the city anyway. Its pretty evident in Dec/Mar that the beaches are fully utilised by people returning from work during the week.

ossigeno

Not really.

Summers are extremely hot, hottest I have ever experienced in the world.
Winters are mild. Snow only in the mountains, 2 hours from Melbourne.

Deutschmaster

There are nice beaches starting from St Kilda going all the way East right around the Mornington Peninsula. Depends if you want a busy city beach to somewhere a little quieter.

I suppose the weather here is like Britain's in that you can say it's 'unsettled'.If you don't like the look of the weather check back in 15 minutes

I think the reason why Melbourne points out how it has good shopping is based on that a lot of Australia hasn't. I was talking to a couple of engineers who had flown down from Sydney to do a bit of work here. One said how he was nipping out early because he had to go shopping. I asked him don't they have shops in Sydney? He said that there are a couple of things here which are hard to find back home (he didn't say what exactly). And then I've heard of people flying down from Darwin to go shopping for a weekend.

UK-2-OZ

We had a family arrive last week and they were actually down at the beach swimming in the sea yesterday, whilst the Ozzies were walking past in Jackets, Beanies and scarves and looking at them as though they were crazy.
I can remember when we first arrived it was winter and we were walking around in T Shirts and thought how warm it was, now years on, come winter we have definately acclimatised and think it is freezing. We were up in Darwin a few months back and the heat and humidity were unbearable, I could not live like that for 12 months of the year. I would be happy with a constant 24 degrees.